Page 126 - The History of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps 1962–2021

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL ARMY VETERINARY CORPS 1962 – 2021
to a look-over the vintage 1930s Lancaster motor car that was sharing the storage space. It was in immaculate condition, probably due to the arid climate, and with only 30 miles on the clock, it clearly hardly ever made it onto the road.
Once equipped for the job, Durrant reported to the SAS HQ, which was a tent at the RAF base where he noted that no one wore uniforms. Shorts, shirts, sandals and the occasional keffiyeh were the order of the day which made it difficult to identify who was who. The CO at that time was Lt Col Peter de la Billière, who sought out Durrant on his arrival with the quip: “I want to see you!” The Colonel, on consulting Durrant’s references, regarded that a Diploma in Dairy Management may well be useful before accom- panying the new arrival on some of his rounds. In a short space of time, Durrant realised that, in communicating with the local people there was a deep need to emphasise the importance of hygiene whenever they were dealing with their livestock – which were predominately goats and sheep. As it was the custom for children to care for and assist in rearing the family’s livestock it was important that the children got the message too, and so Durrant requested permission to talk in schools. He shared simple advice on how they could care for their animals properly and how watering them daily was vitally important for their health and wellbeing. For his work, Durrant was recommended for an MBE by Lieutenant Colonel de la Billière, which was duly gazetted.
A funny thing happened....
As in all campaigns many an anecdotal tale can be told, some bordering on the macabre. Captain Durrant told how he was called out to see a young camel that belonged to a small group of nomads. The camel’s injuries necessitated the application of a plaster cast which required the animal to remain at the same location until the healing process was complete. The message was commu- nicated to the camel’s owner along with Captain Durrant’s assurance that he would visit again in several days’ time to check on the ‘patient’. True to his word, the captain returned to the location four days later only to find the desert empty, except for the plaster cast with the camel’s leg inside – the nomads had, he admitted, ‘eaten it and moved on’.
Cultural differences included getting used to the traditional way of expressing thanks for the VO’s care for a family’s animals. And because the Arabs were very hospitable it was usual, by the end of
a day, for the vet to have aching legs from sitting on innumerable carpets drinking coffee; his belly bulging from pints of hot, freshly milked, foaming camel’s milk, and his arms aching from carrying coconuts and bananas presented to him for services rendered. The appreciation of a tribesman could often go beyond the offer of hospitality, fruit and veg, as Captain Durrant was to find out when a section of the Bait Kathir tribe presented him, ‘buckshee’, with one of their women as a wife in return for treating some of their camels! The VO’s embarrassment was taken to greater heights when four women were led forward who also: “...wished to carry the Tabib al Haiwan’s (vet’s) chicko in their tummy!”
Levels of success
The overall success of the hearts and minds efforts by the VOs seemed as varied as indicated in 1972, by Major W (Bill) P McLaren RAVC, in corre- spondence,10
“To sum up, two years of effort have produced limited interest by the local population in the veterinary services. Author’s comment – this appears to be applicable to the coastal areas but on moving inland to the Jebel more interest is shown.”
The Major’s correspondence throws a light on the landscape after two years of Op STORM and it’s a view that mostly features goats, some running in herds of one hundred or more and others kept in groups of up to twelve in the courtyards of the houses. Most of them were small, weighing some 30lb on average and sometimes there were sheep, not in flocks, but a few kept in the houses. This situation presented the VO with a task – working as part of a team, to rehabilitate agriculture on the coastal plain after a very long period of stagnation – the long-term aim being, to increase the land under cultivation from some 2,000 acres to some 25,000 acres.
Sensibly, the Veterinary Officer was involved from the planning stage of the venture regarding the restoration of agriculture on the plains. After a daily meeting with the Director, Deputy Director and Agricultural Officer, the VO left his office in the Palace and travelled by Land Rover to Bir bint Ahmed where the Development Department set up an experimental farm. Stock-wise, the starting point was three locally born Friesian bulls and a flock of Apollo/Ranger hybrid laying birds. Plans to build a veterinary centre at Bir bint Ahmed, about a mile west of Salalah and to include a 30 acre stretch dedicated specifically to a livestock
10 VRS Correspondence dated 19th October 1972, Droitwich.
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